So far...

Well, all that other info got back to the office. August 9th, the
underwriter for the rurdev office did some figuring. I got a letter that
basically said, yes, I could get a loan through Rural Development. Only
thing is I couldn't get enough to buy a house.

So the figures go on my monthly gross, use 29% of that, then use $150 a
month in estimated real estate taxes and $35 a month in insurance. That
would leave a payment that qualified me for only $4,977.00.

First off, I wouldn't even consider a place that required $150 in taxes.
One house I want to get is $72 a month in taxes. Cheaper house might
also mean cheaper insurance. Mom figures if we can make a downpayment of
$10 to 15K or so, we would need to borrow much less. How we get the
downpayment, I'm not sure.

Distraught and depressed, last Friday I wrote a letter back to the
rurdev office requesting an informal review and suggested some
alternatives. I also wrote a letter and sent copies off to TV stations.
Hopefully I'll hear from one of them soon. I also tried contacting a
local Habitat for Humanity office via email. I haven't heard anything
back from that, so I will end up having to call them.

Might be talking to the real estate agent who has this one loan officer
coming into her office at the end of this week. There's gotta be a way
for me or us to get a loan to buy a house. I want to get a federally
subsidized loan like my mom got through Farmer's Home Administration
years ago. I should be able to do this.

I'm also considering alternative forms of employment. One is a 2nd part
time job, and the other is getting management training where I work for
getting me out of that store and into another. If one friend who used to
work there can get it and pass the test, I know I can do it, too. I'd
likely end up in a salaried management position, which would suck. After
getting burned on one non-union protected job, I don't want to work
without it ever again.

I don't know if I'm going to get screwed over or not

Well... I've begun the process to apply for a Uniform Housing Loan
through the government's USDA Rural Development office. I sent in at
first an incomplete application, then I got it sent in with the $30
credit reporting fee and additional info they requested.

A week after that, I got an envelope with a few other papers (credit
reporting disclosure, Truth in Lending data), and sent those back in.

Now they're checking info with my current landlord, my current employer,
my past employer, and the bank.

Two of those bits have replied. I called on 8/2 about how things were
going, left a message on the processor's voice mail about how if things
were looking good that I had a house in mind and where it is. The
processor of my application called back saying the landlord info was
received as well as my current employer.

But the thing that caught me off guard was them checking my past
employer. My heart sank when I heard they were checking that. I have no
idea what info they'll be asking for, or if how my employment with them
ended will make any difference. I hope all they need and get is how long
I was employed by them. I also hold no hope for their timely response.
If the errors in my credit report with the Bank of America account I
never had doesn't mess things up, this thing with my previous employer,
for whom I worked 10.5 years, just could depending on what info the
rurdev people ask for.

I woke this morning feeling like crap and with a bit of a sore throat.
Autotoxemia? Heh, I wouldn't be surprised. I've started getting boxes
from where I work now, but haven't begun packing anything, and I got a
lot to pack.

Damn.